Category: Motivation

The Lord Jesus is serious about you. He says, “My beloved beautiful one, I am waiting for you with a breathless wonder. You have captivated my heart. I long to fill you to overflowing with love and adoration. I have danced with you as you slept. I have seen you dream of beautiful things, but I have so much more just for you. Dance with me in spirit, look into my eyes and drink in my devotion. I came 2000 years ago to set you free. I knew you would be born, I was thinking of you. I came to pay the price for your sin, to serve your sentence. Be free in Me. You can do all things through Me. Nothing can separate my love from you, nothing can prevent me from passionately pursuing you, nothing can defeat you.”

“I opened the doors, swung wide the gates, and set things in motion just to delight in your joy and fulfillment. Come closer my love, be seated with Me in Heavenly places. Talk with Me, call on Me and I will answer. Wait for Me in the secret place known only to us, and I will come, always. Oh, my beloved, the time draws near, the banquet is being set. The musicians are tuning their instruments. The wedding draws closer my bride. Only a short time more and we shall dance.”

I am honored to present you with this good news, this love letter from Jesus. He is wildly in love with you. I feel like an intruder in your love story, yet it’s for me as well as every person in the world. This wildly intimate, unbridled love is for all of us, individually, uniquely, according to our own relationship with Him. Remember His devotion to you. Remember you are one of a kind, specifically formed for His delight, in His image, with His mind and heart. Selah.

Editorial Note: I feel compelled to clarify some things in this post. The Lord showed me that the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy, and in this season, has come to distract. He is working overtime to get people and ministries distracted from the commission to further the Kingdom of God and speak life. We must meditate on the Word of God and discover the great works of instruction that are set down to benefit us in our pursuit. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Philppians 4:8 demonstrates our power to change our way of thinking and stay focused on Jesus. Blessings.

Why do you supposed God downloaded Philippians 4:8 to Paul? I find it amazing that Paul was writing a letter to the church in Philippi, beseeching them to be in unity. He encourages them to support each other and assist each other in the ministry. He commands them to rejoice. Does that even fit in there? Rejoicing recounts the blessings of God. Worship and praise rearrange things to proper perspective. Rejoicing forcefully pulls one out of depression, self-absorbed thinking, and turns the mind to the heart of God. Immediately after that, he gives perfect instruction. Be anxious for nothing but bring your concerns to God, and the peace of God will overtake you. That is a promise. Stop complaining, stop talking smack about other people, quit recounting your frustration and confusion, and hand it over to God who will handle it in a way that works out for the good of everyone involved. Let the peace of God guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. Seek Him, embrace His peace, let go of frustration and confusion, knowing He has your back. Keep rejoicing and thanking Him till you have release.

Then comes verse 4:8, one of the most urgently important exhortations in the Bible. It will keep you in a place of communication with the Lord, at peace and effective. Whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, is virtuous is praiseworthy. Do you want to let go of being hurt by someone? Did someone say or do mean ugly things to you or about you? Did you lose your job? Did you get sick? Well, what is true about it? Is it really truth or is it the enemy creating dissention and division? The enemy is a liar and when you feel frustrated and confused, depressed and angry; ask yourself if what you are perceiving is the truth. If you need to make amends, Jesus will help you do it. We are not fighting against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers of darkness. The devil wants to destroy you. Are your thoughts noble, just and pure? If not, repent of them and give them up. Pray! It’s not easy, just keep doing it till you get breakthrough. I have had to do this many times in my life. The Bible says I have the mind of Christ, but I also have flesh to fight. Many times, we just have to reject negative thoughts because they are not from God and are not true. We rebuke the enemy and resist the temptation to go back to that wrong thinking. Instead, we need to stop in our tracks and just start rejoicing over what God has done. Ask for freedom and peace and truth. Start running thoughts around in your head of the goodness of God. Remember what He has done for you. Speak those things that be not as though they were. There is always grace enough to start over. If we persevere, a moment always comes when the light of truth dawns, the depression lifts, and the gray areas are illuminated with the warm cozy love of Jesus. And just like that, transformation comes. You are free and happy, light and full of joy. It’s up to us to choose.

The instructions are right there in the book. How amazing is it that Jesus included all this in salvation? The only book that has survived thousands of years, has all the wisdom of God set forth right there in those pages. When we read it, we are changed, improved and refined. What if Paul had not written this letter? Generations later, here we are. We would not know how to live in freedom and truth. Keep in mind that Paul was actually in prison when he wrote this. Nothing could imprison his heart and mind. He could have been miserable, wallowing in self-pity at being unjustly accused. God showed him the avenue to peace. God preserved this information for us. I believe God’s plan for us is peace and freedom as we navigate life. In this world there will be trouble but rejoice. Jesus changes things. So, no matter what is going on around us, if we will prayerfully guard our hearts and minds by doing these things, our lives will emerge victorious and at perfect peace. Think on those things. Ask the Lord to show you His heart for you. There is no better friend than Jesus. Blessings.

I was praying recently about some things that I was sick and tired of dealing with in my life. If I can’t fix it, get a grip on it or get over it, I need the author and finisher of my faith to take over and show me how to get free. So, I was praying and asking to see what the reasons were, what caused me to think the way I did about some things, what door did I open, and how to tear down strongholds that have hindered me from reaching my destiny. And God, being faithful and righteous and ready to help, began to put a vision before my eyes.

I saw Jesus standing right there with me in all my attempts and failures, the trials and errors, the frustration and short-lived victories. He is standing there waiting for me to hand it over to Him, once and for all. I began to talk to Him. “Lord, forgive me for holding onto these things, excuses, justifications, ways of fooling myself”. “Forgive me for believing a lie when the truth was right there all along”. “I can’t do this anymore, I’m tired of my inability to control these situations”. “How do I get free from this”? “Lord, I want to give this to you, completely and totally”. “What will you give to me in exchange to seal the deal”?

Jesus handed me a folded flag, a banner. It’s pure white. I know the Word says His banner over me is love, acceptance, forgiveness, purity, wholeness. “It’s a royal flag”, He says. “It’s to be used by a royal conqueror, one mighty in battle”. “You break the curse and the stronghold”. “Simply repent of believing and accepting a lie, renounce it, hand it to me, and accept my gift in exchange”. “This is a flag of surrender”. “The battle is over; the fighting has ceased”.

Ok Lord! I began to call out things that hurt me, things that kept me from being courageous, things that stuck around in the dark corners of my mind and tormented me. I waved that flag of surrender over the things in my life that were bogging me down. The things that hindered my destiny and my quest to know the heart of God. I flew that flag over each named thing that held me back, repenting and renouncing. I laid all those things down in a heap and flew the victorious white flag of surrender over the whole pile! I began to shout and dance and laugh over the mess as Jesus stepped up and lit it all on fire. The bonfire consumed it all! It left nothing. My sacrifice of self-doubt and insecurity, of things I did that weren’t good for me, things I didn’t want to let go of, vaporized in the wind of the Holy Spirit. Even the flag caught fire and burned bright until I had to let it go. It all burned, a sweet-smelling aroma to the nose of God. Gone, forgotten, nothing left but a few ashes tossed into the wind. The Bible says God forgets our sin the minute we repent. It is as far from Him as the east is from the west.

I felt light, empty of a burden, free and happy. Jesus lifted an urn and poured the oil of gladness over my head. He then poured the wine of His spirit over me, and then again, the oil of anointing. He said, “you are leaving all of this behind, it is gone, erased from our memory”. “Your new season begins, new life and vitality”. “Good things”.

I have been given visions of Heaven lately and I want to encourage you with what goes on in Heaven. Its not a distant place, it’s not mysterious and scary. Heaven is one little side step into the supernatural.

A few weeks ago, I was visiting Life Song Church in Stockton, California. Their worship is so full and amazing. As we were singing and praising, I saw in the Spirit, God the Father, sitting on His throne. He was watching us worship and a huge smile beamed across his face. His eyes lit up and sparkled with delight. Suddenly, He jumped up and began leading the singers and musicians; waving His arms with joyful encouragement to go higher in praise. His white garment flowed, the sleeves billowed, the exotic scent of Heaven perfumed the sanctuary. He was so happy, He bagan to dance over us, conducting, singing, and dancing with complete abandon. This is what God does, He enters in. He joins us, He dances over us with singing. He partners with us in worship and prayer and praise. Partnership with the Creator brings creativity and revelation. He loves us, He loves to lavish us with love and affirmation. He is not a distant God, He is right here beside us always.

On April 27, 2018, I was praying in the Spirit when I began to see a picture of myself standing next to the throne of God. We were holding hands and I was praying in the Spirit. I know that we are in agreement about something involving Arab nations. At this moment, we are one. The Father is sad, a tear falls from His eye. The Holy Spirit steps up to me and says, “Put your hand into the fire that surrounds Me. Hold my hand and pray. We are one.” Jesus enters the throne room. He said, “When you pray in agreement with Us, you honor us. Stretch out your hand to Me, we are one. When my people pray, they join hands with Us. They agree with Us. Mountains are moved, things are accomplished. We listen, we respond to prayer, and we change things. Every word you utter that is directed to Us, is acted upon whether you see it immediately or not. When you know the Word of God, you know the will of God. When you pray the Word of God, you are confident that you are in agreement with Us. When you pray in the Holy Spirit, you are in agreement with Us. Together we cause those mountains to move and fall into the sea. Together we accomplish those things on earth that have been preordained in Heaven.”

People, we are here for the pleasure and purposes of God. There is no greater fulfillment in your heart than to press into the higher calling of God. He is not far away, He is next to you. He finds you worthy right where you are. His hand is outstretched to take yours in harmony with Heaven. Be encouraged, you are vitally important to God, to the universe and to the Body of Christ. Just talk to Him. He is enchanted by your heart, your voice. He waits for you to know Him. He knows you intimately, He has invested Himself in you.

Often in the middle of the night, I wake and write down the time. This morning the time was 3:56 am. The Lord never fails to give me a scripture that corresponds to the time, so I keep a notebook on the nightstand. I knew immediately it was Isaiah 35:6. It was our first night back from a 3-day road trip that was a fun mini vacation to a place the Lord has put on our hearts. Isaiah 35 is a promise to us, and Mike and I have been drawn to this chapter again and again. This time there was clarity as never before. Verse 6 says: “Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” I believe He is promising us joy and wholeness in our next life adventure. Our voices will be heard, and we will live in abundance of peace and happiness. But what really caught my attention was verses 8 through 10:

And a highway will be there;it will be called the Way of Holiness;it will be for those who walk on that Way.The unclean will not journey on it;wicked fools will not go about on it.

wicked fools will not go about on it.9 No lion will be there,nor any ravenous beast;they will not be found there.But only the redeemed will walk there,10 and those the Lord has rescued will return.They will enter Zion with singing;everlasting joy will crown their heads.Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.

My spirit began to leap like that deer and my voice rose up in praise. You see, life is a series of detours. On our road trip, we had to take a detour because road construction was going on in the main highway. That detour was short, but it was beautiful. We may have never seen that lush farmland had we not been obedient to the detour. The detour could have been a boring or a bumpy road; it could have been a desolate and dirty way, but it was not this time. It was beautiful because God works all things together for His plans and purposes and glory in our lives.

I believe the Lord shows us a destiny, a destination, a promise to look forward to. The road to that destiny may not look like we expect. There might be detours on the way to the Highway of Holiness that prepare us and mold us and sever us from unrighteousness. We need a little construction, rebuilding and restoring now and again. How can we get on the Highway of Holiness if there are still things we need to shake off? Keeping the promise of God before us, we press on. Perseverance is the vehicle to righteousness. When we arrive at the off ramp of our destination, we begin to leap like a deer and shout for joy! The promises and freedom overtake us, and we give God the glory. The doors open, the details fall into place, the momentum is unstoppable! We are covered in joy and safety and peace and love. God longs to remove us from captivity, to free us from man-made rules and regulations. He wants us free to stop “doing” and start just being His friend. Glory to God for His lovingkindness that goes from everlasting to everlasting! What an adventure!

Like the Phoenix rising from the ashes of devastation and destruction, we rise. We, the believers, the Church, the Body of Christ, are each individually, a new creation in Christ. All the old things have passed away. We rise in victory over sin and death, disease and sufferings, emotional abuse and betrayal. We, are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. The City dwells within us, empowering us to live in Kingdom wisdom and authority. The promises of God, the Words of God, are our source and shield; the truth, the love, uncompromised and ready in season and out.

We rise, knowing we have full assurance of salvation, freedom and value to our Father. We rise, knowing we have the mind of Christ and are created in the image of God. We rise, in confidence. No weapon formed against us will prosper, and every tongue that speaks against us, we shall condemn. This is the inheritance and the life of a Kingdom dweller. We rise, secure in the perfect love of Jesus, the power of His might, His resurrection that conquered death, and the restoration of all things necessary for abundant life. It is humbling to know the God of creation has made us to dwell with Him. It is humbling that He chose us before the foundation of the earth, to enjoy a mutual, intimate, fellowship and friendship. It is His desire that all come to the full knowledge of Jesus and choose His salvation. He waits for us.

We rise, in the power of the Holy Spirit, the same power that raised Jesus from the grave and conveyed us into the Kingdom of His love. We rise out of the ash heap of our former lives, free and victorious; ecstatic and overwhelmed with the goodness of God.

We rise, we soar through the Heavens, we seek the face of God, we hear His voice, we hide under the shadow of His wings, and we worship with abandon. We hear His heart and pray from Heaven in agreement with Him. He rejoices over us with singing; He loves to set captives free and give us a future and a hope.

We rise together, the Church, the Body of Christ, His peculiar people. We rise, knowing we will never be cast down. We can only rise.

I find it fascinating that every person is born with an empty space inside their soul. It’s a deep place, we can feel it even if we don’t know that only God can fill that empty space. It was created by Him, for Him, as a dwelling place. Like God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we are a three part being; soul, spirit and body. The soul is the mind, will and emotions. Your body of course, is your flesh. The spirit is the true heart. When we are born, our spirit is dormant. It remains dormant until it comes alive in Christ. You, by your own free will, make a decision to invite God into your life. He then fills your God spot. At that very moment, your spirit leaps into life and you begin to live a different life, a full, joyful, life as preordained by God. You find you have a new kind of joy, peace and freedom. You are the same person, but you no longer have that feeling of emptiness, something is missing, worry, or agitation deep inside. That voice in your head stops and is replaced with the voice of comfort and peace. You have joy and expectation of new adventure, new purpose, new hope and a new future. You are full, you breathe.

As you learn to navigate this new life, you learn quickly that every human need, problem or situation has an answer in the Word of God, the Bible. It’s true. Jesus became a man, a human, and suffered every torment we suffer. He knows what you have to deal with, He has been there. Your communication with Jesus becomes richer. Ask and you shall receive, is a Bible promise that you realize is for you. That faith rises in you and you begin to ask Him for your needs instead of worrying and relying on your paycheck. It’s crazy! You realize that in your weakness, you become strong. You no longer take the burden upon yourself but release it to Him. You learn that He is trustworthy and will never betray you, so you pour out your whole heart to Him. He is worthy of that trust. You notice things no longer bother you so much. You notice a very gentle nudge when you do something that isn’t good for you. It’s still your free will. You can set that thing aside or you can continue. It’s not guilt, it’s a suggestion that benefits your spirit, your soul or your body. If you choose to obey, you are rewarded and at peace. If not, the opportunity will come around again at a later time because God is faithful to meet you where you are. You may find that there are things that haunt you, bug you, or make you angry. He will deliver you. Those things are not of Him, He protects you if you ask Him to. Ok, yes, there will be a fight with the devil eventually. He wants you back, he wants you to take a bite of the apple in defiance and get back to his side. You still live in a sinful world, you are still going to have problems. But, by learning more about the character of God, you know you have already overcome every attack or temptation because you carry the authority of the blood of Jesus, the God of creation. You see things differently, you overcome in His strength.

It’s a new life, a new way of living, of seeing things. It’s free and it’s glorious. It’s an adventure, a knowing that you have purpose, your life matters. You are complete, lacking nothing. You are free of things that held you back. There’s a new awakening of your senses. You have joy amid human troubles. You have hope because He loves you. You have unconditional acceptance in the family of God. You know that you are safe from the unknown. Your final destination is Heaven, in the joyful presence of God. Your life takes on meaning. You are filled with power and security. You live your life fully because it’s a gift! There is nothing you can think up or do to get this. You can’t earn it. It’s a free gift and all you had to do is ask.

Why? Is it too good to be true? That’s the goodness of God. Jesus paid your fine. He took your death sentence for your sin, to set you free. He paid the whole thing. And while he was at it, He took your sickness and diseases on Himself, so you wouldn’t have to suffer them. He took your poverty, your spiritual death, your oppression of the devil, your aloneness, your feeling of being misunderstood, your emotional suffering and all the lies ever spoken against you, and He did away with them once and for all. The Word says when He forgives sin, He throws it away as far as the east is from the west and remembers it no more. He took tall those things on the cross as He was beaten and abused. He gave up His human life, so you might live. None of these things can ever hurt you again if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord. He sacrificed His life, so you could live free. He was thinking specifically about you. And all you had to do was believe that and love Him.

Ask and you shall receive, knock and the door will be opened to you. Thank Him, worship Him. He will invade your heart. The Lord invades the praises of His people. He rejoices over you with singing. He dances over you. All of Heaven rejoices at the sound of your prayer.

Do you see the contract? It’s called covenant. It’s legal and binding, written in the courts of Heaven, and cannot be broken. Do this and He will do that. I encourage you to check it out. The Bible says taste and see that He is good. He is not a man that He should lie. He is faithful. He watches over His word to perform it. He who the Son sets free, is free indeed. The Kingdom waits breathlessly for you. He loves you with an everlasting, unfailing, recklessly extravagant love. And all you have to do is say yes.

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